HF 019.5 The Slumber Party
8:07:17 PM Josh: For when things do begin, Belza is currently braiding Rune's hair, Rune, I assume, is working on Tiprus, and, if Creed is here, Tiprus is doing Creed, but isn't so much braiding as bunching it up in little balls. 8:08:26 PM Rune: ((Creed would be here by now if they were going to be, right? Or not. I mean, I don't wanna cut them out, either, but.)) 8:09:14 PM Josh: ((I am guessing so. I don't think he ever knew we were thinking of this, so, I'll just say Creed slipped out. If he shows up, he can slip back in)) 8:09:56 PM Josh: ((But, yeah, if Creed did know, he'd probably have swung by by now, so, feel free to begin)) 8:11:42 PM Rune: ((Okay!)) 8:12:37 PM Josh: You cannot see Belza's work, but it feels like it's going by a lot slower than yours. 8:13:18 PM Rune: Rune is getting pretty ornate with Tiprus's hair. 8:13:33 PM Josh: Josh added Caleb to this conversation 8:13:48 PM Josh: As you are working, there's a knock at your door. 8:13:51 PM Rune: Usually when people do this they're younger, and then they talk about boys. Or girls, I guess, if they like girls. I don't think it matters much. 8:13:57 PM Rune: Come in! 8:14:24 PM Caleb: Caleb enters 8:15:01 PM Caleb: I was wondering if I could have a word with Taeral? 8:15:43 PM Rune: Oh, sure, if he doesn't mind. 8:16:01 PM Josh: Taeral: "I'm fine with it. I don't actually have hair to braid, anyway." 8:16:15 PM Josh: Taeral: "Um...here, or do you need to carry me somewhere?" 8:16:38 PM Rune: Rune hands him to Hank. 8:16:45 PM Caleb: We can leave I don't want to intrude 8:17:00 PM Caleb: Caleb exits the room 8:17:07 PM Josh: Josh has ejected Caleb from this conversation 8:17:23 PM Rune: That was weird. 8:18:15 PM Josh: Belza: "What do you think he wants from your ball creature?" 8:19:45 PM Rune: Oh, Taeral isn't a creature, he's an elf. He died a little, that's all. I'm not sure--Taeral's a wizard, so it might be anything about magic. 8:20:27 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Why do we talk about boys?" 8:20:39 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Does that affect hair?" 8:23:04 PM Rune: No, it doesn't. Well, not that I know of, anyway. 8:23:49 PM Rune: I don't know how all that stuff works with Erinyes, since you're all female. Do you all only like girls? Or what? 8:24:53 PM Josh: Belza: "We're not all female, exactly. A very small part of our population is male. They act as caretakers for our young, healers, and those who are unskilled are used for entertainment purposes." 8:25:34 PM Rune: Oh, I see, that makes sense. What kind of entertainment? 8:25:46 PM Josh: Tiprus giggles. 8:26:14 PM Josh: Belza blushes a little. 8:26:41 PM Josh: Tiprus: "You know, coupling." 8:26:58 PM Rune: Oh, right. 8:27:12 PM Josh: Belza: "We will often engage as a unit, but there are some who prefer...different activities." 8:28:13 PM Rune: ... I'm not sure what that means. 8:29:45 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Some like the way guys feel better. They mate with their fellow soldiers for unit cohesion, but it's not as much fun for them." 8:30:11 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Least, that's how Belza always told me. I've never been in a unit, really." 8:31:38 PM Rune: Oh, I see! Yes, humanoids don't do that normally, I don't think. I mean, sometimes they mate with a coworker but usually they're monogamous. Not always, but often. 8:31:55 PM Rune: And gender is usually 50-50 with humanoids, women and men, I mean. And usually women are the caretakers for the babies, not the men. 8:33:40 PM Josh: Tiprus: "...you have that many men? ...that's weird." 8:34:30 PM Rune: Yes. Well, look at our group--we have Hank and Quill and Taeral. 8:35:00 PM Josh: Tiprus: "...I wasn't really counting Taeral, given he's a stick." 8:35:38 PM Rune: Well, we're hoping to get his body back. Or get a new one if that's not possible. It's serious magic and it might take a while, though. 8:36:06 PM Josh: Belza: "You have to remember, Tiprus, this is how they reproduce. They do not have the farms." 8:36:18 PM Rune: Farms? 8:38:57 PM Josh: Belza: "Our kind need to be born in the hundreds at a time, and born regularly, to maintain numbers in wartime. To do that your way, would be difficult, to say the least." 8:40:16 PM Josh: Tiprus: "So, long ago, after the big war in Heavens, Asmodeus commissioned farms to be created, burying the dead celestials who fell to our plane, and birthing our first generations." 8:40:29 PM Josh: Belza: "And then we were born from the remains of those generations." 8:41:52 PM Rune: Interesting. 8:42:20 PM Rune: Humanoids usually just pair off on their own, unless they're nobles. Then they get paired off by their families to try to make alliances. 8:42:24 PM Josh: This message has been removed. 8:45:34 PM Josh: Belza: "Makes sense. Lineage is very important. Many Archdevils are as they are because of whom they were born from." 8:46:16 PM Josh: Belza: "We will never be that, though. Our genetics are already perfect for what we need." 8:46:30 PM Josh: There's another knock at the door. 8:46:34 PM Rune: Come in! 8:46:49 PM Josh: Taeral: "Um...kind of can't...can someone bring me in, please?" 8:47:07 PM Rune: I just wish I'd gotten the wings, that's all. Oh, Belza, could you get that? 8:47:27 PM Josh: Belza brings Taeral in. 8:47:47 PM Josh: Taeral: "Thank you. Sorry if I am intruding on girl time." 8:48:11 PM Josh: Taeral: "...not that I'd understand any of it, anyway." 8:48:56 PM Rune: That's okay, we've never really done it either. I didn't have any sisters or friends really. 8:49:37 PM Josh: ((Common to Taeral?)) 8:50:58 PM Rune: Rune does both, and translates. 8:51:08 PM Josh: ((Gotcha)) 8:51:13 PM Josh: Tiprus frowns. 8:51:31 PM Josh: Taeral: "I am sorry. I wish I'd been there. I'd've been your friend." 8:51:44 PM Josh: Taeral: "Granted, I still couldn't help with girl talk, but still." 8:52:44 PM Josh: Belza: "I wanted to ask you about the wings, actually." 8:53:09 PM Rune: I never had any. 8:53:22 PM Josh: Belza: "Yeah, you said you were part succubus?" 8:53:32 PM Rune: My parents aren't even tieflings. Well I mean they are, but they looked all human. 8:53:46 PM Rune: Yes. 8:54:01 PM Josh: Tiprus: "That is very interesting." 8:54:42 PM Josh: Tiprus: "...I am not sure how that would happen." 8:55:22 PM Rune: Rune shrugs. 8:56:23 PM Josh: Belza: "Sorry...do you still wanna talk about boys?" 8:56:31 PM Josh: Belza: "I don't want this to be weird." 8:57:06 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Both your parents were all pink and human-y?" 8:57:15 PM Rune: We can talk about anything, I don't mind. Yes. 8:57:41 PM Rune: Grandmother said they both looked normal. Well, my father had a funny eye. 8:57:56 PM Josh: Belza: "You didn't know them?" 8:58:09 PM Rune: Oh no, not at all. 8:58:14 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Is your grandmother a half-breed like you?" 8:58:26 PM Josh: Tiprus: "I mean, like, with human stuff in her?" 8:58:50 PM Josh: Belza looks sad. 8:59:38 PM Rune: No. Well she's not actually my grandmother either, she's a great-great-great grandmother or something like that. She showed me a chart once with names on it, I can't remember how many greats it is. She's a succubus. 9:00:23 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Do you know there's never been a Tiefling Erinyes before?" 9:00:31 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Not that I know of, anyway." 9:00:57 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Do you know if your Erinyes ancestor was male or female?" 9:01:05 PM Rune: Oh, I didn't know that, actually. I wonder why? 9:01:25 PM Rune: No, I only know Grandmother's side. 9:01:29 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Well, because we can't, obviously." 9:01:37 PM Josh: Belza: "Tiprus, don't bother her." 9:01:42 PM Rune: Can't how? 9:02:17 PM Josh: Tiprus: "We're only grown. We can't reproduce any other way. Even if we coupled with another devil for a while, there'd be no children." 9:02:36 PM Josh: Tiprus: "It's part of our design." 9:03:25 PM Rune: Oh. Huh. 9:04:45 PM Josh: Tiprus looks like she's about to say more, but then stops. Following her eyeline you see Belza is shooting a withering look at her. 9:05:12 PM Rune: ... well I want to know. 9:05:39 PM Josh: Belza: "Want to know what?" 9:05:43 PM Rune: I don't mind. Parents and that kind of thing aren't important to me. ... it was weird meeting Hank's. 9:06:29 PM Josh: Belza: "...weird how?" 9:07:34 PM Rune: Well, my parents were nice enough to not throw me down a well or something, but that's it. Hank's parents took care of him. Well, and they still take care of him, kind of. 9:08:43 PM Josh: ((I am not sure if you typed something or not, it doesn't appear to have come through)) 9:09:50 PM Josh: ((Ok, back now)) 9:10:13 PM Josh: Belza frowns and then hugs you. 9:10:35 PM Josh: Belza: "We do not have parents. I am sorry you did not either." 9:10:54 PM Rune: Oh, it's all right! I don't mind. Grandmother took care of me. 9:11:37 PM Josh: Incidentally, your hair is long finished. It's all one big poofy braid now, tied at the bottom. 9:12:24 PM Rune: Rune is almost done with Tiprus's! It's pretty complicated. 9:12:50 PM Josh: Tiprus: "So...since you wanted to talk, what boys do you wish to couple with?" 9:13:35 PM Josh: Belza: "Obviously, she will choose Hank. He's the only one with enough power to do it properly." 9:13:44 PM Rune: Rune snrks. 9:13:59 PM Rune: Well I'm not sure I'd go that far. I kind of like Hank and Quill. 9:14:32 PM Josh: Tiprus: "The little black one is very cute. I bet you could get some very funny noises out of him." 9:15:21 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Or, either of the Celestials. I bet it tingles to do it with them." 9:15:32 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Make all your hairs stand on end." 9:16:11 PM Rune: Well, I'm not thinking about just the physical bits, you know. It's more about having a partner. 9:17:01 PM Josh: Belza and Tiprus look confused. 9:18:05 PM Rune: Well, a lot of people just pick one mate and then kind of keep them. You travel together and live together and maybe have kids. 9:18:22 PM Josh: Tiprus: "For how long?" 9:19:25 PM Rune: Well, until one of them dies, usually. 9:19:46 PM Rune: Usually decades for humans. 9:19:50 PM Rune: Maybe a couple centuries for elves. 9:20:06 PM Josh: Tiprus: "Oh, that makes sense...we don't really do that." 9:20:34 PM Josh: Belza: "We can live for tens of thousands of years, many far older than that, unless we are slain in battle." 9:21:08 PM Rune: And you have your unit instead of an individual partner, so that makes sense. 9:21:36 PM Rune: Some humanoids like to change partners and never keep just one, though I don't think that's me. 9:22:00 PM Josh: Belza: "What would you want in a partner like that?" 9:22:51 PM Rune: Someone kind and reliable with a good sense of humor who doesn't try to boss me around and treats me with respect. 9:23:38 PM Josh: Tiprus: "That sounds nice." 9:24:02 PM Josh: Tiprus: "...I'd like someone smaller than me, I think." 9:24:56 PM Josh: Tiprus: "I'd like to carry them around and have them look up to me. But, not like a child, like...like they can't imagine anyone greater than me." 9:25:40 PM Rune: That sounds nice too! 9:26:24 PM Josh: Belza: "I don't think I want that. Not with anyone." 9:26:38 PM Josh: Belza: "I feel like I'd lose me in that." 9:27:08 PM Rune: Some people do. And not everybody wants a partner at all. And other ones just like casual sex. 9:27:26 PM Josh: Belza: "That last one sounds really good." 9:27:32 PM Josh: Tiprus snorts. 9:28:02 PM Rune: Shouldn't be hard to find once you get a little more used to humanoid types. 9:30:04 PM Josh: Belza: "Very hard to find someone on my level. Even Hank would be a little less than I am used to." 9:30:28 PM Josh: Tiprus: "A little less might be good for you right now. Not everything has to be so extreme." 9:30:45 PM Rune: Oh, I think there are clubs for that if you like more extreme stuff. 9:32:31 PM Josh: Tiprus: "I think maybe we should not rush into that just yet. We are still trying to get more...what you say? Humanoid?" 9:32:58 PM Rune: Rune nodnods. 9:33:22 PM Rune: Yeah, there's a lot of social rules. And even more for that kind of thing, so that people are safe. 9:34:26 PM Josh: At this point, I'd guess your finishing up the braid a bit, and you notice a mark on Tiprus's back, just below her right wing. 9:35:02 PM Rune: Oh, what's this? 9:35:05 PM Rune: Rune examines it. 9:36:13 PM Josh: As you look closer, you see it's...a brand. Burned permanently into her back. The shape of it is familiar. It takes you a moment to recognize it. It's the symbol on Creed's ring. 9:37:09 PM Rune: ... someone branded you? It wasn't Creed, was it? 9:37:14 PM Rune: Tell me it wasn't Creed. 9:37:21 PM Josh: Belza frowns. 9:37:33 PM Josh: Tiprus: "...it wasn't Lady Creed...herself." 9:37:54 PM Josh: Belza: "Creed's family is not all she wants it to be." 9:39:47 PM Rune: Oh, it was her family? ... are they awful? 9:40:10 PM Josh: Tiprus: "...I wouldn't say awful..." 9:40:13 PM Josh: Belza: "I would." 9:40:42 PM Josh: Tiprus: "I mean, there's no real war for us to fight, so it was nice of them to buy us up." 9:42:18 PM Rune: They bought you? 9:42:35 PM Rune: ... you know that Creed doesn't own you, right? I mean, she's said so, right? 9:42:55 PM Josh: Belza: "She's inferred it." 9:43:36 PM Rune: Good. Good. I don't think slavery is legal here, and even if it was legal it would still be wrong and I sure wouldn't tolerate it. 9:44:49 PM Josh: Tiprus: "It's not...I mean...it's not like we weren't...it's..." 9:45:17 PM Josh: Belza: "It was wrong, Tiprus. It was always wrong. Even for Hell." 9:46:15 PM Rune: It was wrong. And maybe they were relatively okay to you for slave owners, but even then it was wrong. But it's okay to have mixed feelings about it too, if they were nice to you sometimes. People are complicated. 9:47:10 PM Josh: Taeral: "Is...is everything ok?" 9:50:50 PM Rune: I think so. Just... I'm not sure if we should do anything different, that's all. You're not going back to hell with her, are you? I don't think you should. 9:51:43 PM Josh: Tiprus: "We cannot go back. Not with Belza...as she is." 9:52:08 PM Rune: As she is? 9:52:38 PM Josh: Belza: "We cannot go back." 9:52:46 PM Josh: Belza: "It is not safe." 9:53:52 PM Rune: .. well, I'd like to know what you mean, but you don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable with it. 9:54:42 PM Josh: Belza: "...It is complicated...we should talk about it later." 9:54:57 PM Josh: Belza: "For now, we should sleep. It is getting late." 9:57:26 PM Rune: All right. ... if you need anything or want anything you can just ask, you know. Probably not just me either, Hank and Anna and everybody else is really nice too. Creed doesn't always have a lot of common sense but she can be really nice too. I don't think she should go to hell, honestly. I keep hoping she'll figure that out on her own because that's not the kind of thing you listen to someone about really.